In Sickness And In Health
by jen0va
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Rikku is searching for a purpose in life after the Gullwings go their seperate ways. She accepts a job with the Machine Faction, pioneering their excavation of the Zanarkand Ruins. RxG
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Soo... I haven't written fanfic in years, but reading the stuff on this site has turned me into an avid GxR fan. So I thought I'd try my hand again. I am feeling this prologue is a bit bland. Oh well, here it is anyway. R&R if you feel like it, woo.

**Disclaimer:** All the characters, places, background, props, small cabbages, skateboards, wax lips, speedboats, turtles, and anything else you could possibly imagine in this story belong to Square-Enix, as does everything else relating to FFX and FFX-2. The story could have something to do with me, but who knows really.

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**In Sickness And In Health**

**Prologue**

"You may kiss the bride."

A resounding cheer swept through the crowd gathered in front of the temple on Besaid Island as the beaming blond Blitzball player swept the last High Summoner into his arms and kissed her firmly. As the young couple turned to grin and wave at the huge party that had gathered to witness their union, the cries from the crowd were suddenly drowned out by a piercing bellow.

"WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!" A bouncing blur of an Al Bhed girl barreled into the two and somehow managed to crush the breath out of the both of them before grabbing Yuna's hands and swinging her around in an unsteady circle. "You did it! You guys finally did it! This is totally the best day ever!"

Yuna stumbled around after Rikku, laughing too hard to right herself, until Paine stepped in and pulled her away. "Geez, Rikku, she's only been married for about 10 seconds, give her a minute."

"Oops! Sorry Yunie… But this is sooo exciting! I mean, for the longest time we thought we'd never see Tidus again, and now you guys are MARRIED! It's like, miraculous, ya know?" Rikku twirled happily, the rose-colored bridesmaid gown flaring out around her legs.

"Settle down there, Captain Obvious," said Paine dryly. She, too, had shed her battle gear for the occasion, dressed in the same silky rose gown as Rikku and Lulu, her fellow bridesmaids. "Let's give the happy couple some space, I'm sure there are a few other people who'd like to congratulate them."

Sure enough, a gaggle of well-wishers had already gathered around the wedding party. First to step up was Cid, looking remarkably well groomed in his tuxedo… If you failed to notice the grubby work boots protruding from the bottoms of his pant legs.

"Well, little lady, at least ONE of the girlies in my family has the sense to settle down and start herself a family." He waggled his eyebrows at Rikku, which only elicited a pout and a stamp of a high-heeled sandal, then leaned down to kiss Yuna's cheek. "And I'll say it again, I couldn't be more honored to be the guy givin' you away."

Yuna smiled brightly up at her uncle. "I couldn't think of a better guy for the job." Cid harrumphed embarrassedly, then turned to Tidus.

"You make sure you take good care of my niece, young man, or you'll be eatin' that precious blitzball of yours! He chuckled and slapped Tidus on the back to defuse his threat. "Naw, I'm just kiddin'. I know you guys'll be so damn happy it'll make me sicker than a shoopuf ride just lookin' at ya."

Tidus gazed briefly at his new bride being gushed over by several members of the Leblanc Syndicate, then chuckled. "If what she's been up to this past year is any indication, I get the feeling she's gonna be taking care of me, not the other way around… But you know I'll do my best for her, Cid."

"He's a good kid, ya? Those two will be fine, no doubt." Wakka ambled over, his neatly tailored tuxedo disguising the few extra pounds he'd put on since settling back in Besaid with Lulu and their infant son, Vidina. "But you can't give up blitzball yet, ya? The Aurochs need a captain that can live up to the reputation of yours truly." Wakka jabbed a thumb at himself while drawing himself up and puffing out his chest.

"Well, that shouldn't be hard at all." Tidus tried to hide his smirk, but failed miserably.

"Hey! Just what are you implying, ya?"

"Oh, nothing, Wakka, just pulling your chain... I did pick you as the 'best man', after all..." Tidus noticed Yuna waving for his attention across a small sea of people. "Excuse me, guys, I sense my presence is needed." He squeezed through the jabbering crowd, thanking people and shaking their hands as he went. Finally he made it over to Yuna. She stood with a group of three men. One, a tall, imposing figure with both of his left limbs replaced by highly sophisticated machina prosthetics; a quiet man in the robes of a priest, with silvery hair tucked behind a blue headband; and a sly looking Al Bhed in a outrageously expensive tux, with wild blond hair and an eye patch over his right eye.

"Tidus, I was you to meet some friends of mine. They were a great help in our fight against Vegnagun." She introduced each man in turn. "Meyvn Nooj of the Youth League, Praetor Baralai of New Yevon, and Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction."

Tidus shook each of their hands. "Great to finally meet you guys. Yuna's told me so much about you."

Tidus and the three men settled into an animated conversation about their new plans to work together rebuilding Spira, now that the threats of Sin and Vegnagun were gone. Tidus couldn't help but notice, however, that the last man, Gippal, his eye was consistently focused on something behind Tidus's right shoulder. Glancing behind him, the only thing Tidus saw was the massive table spread with delicacies from across Spira. _Oh well,_ Tidus mused, _I guess he's hungry…  
_

"Mmmmph! Mmph mph mmmmmmph gmmph!" Rikku's words were totally unintelligible as she shoveled confections into her mouth.

"What was that, mushmouth?" Paine used a small pair of tongs to select the juiciest chunks of fruit from a large carved crystal bowl of fruit salad.

Rikku swallowed with some difficulty. "I _said,_ wow, this is soooo good!"

"I'll give you that one. Rin's catering company seems to have really learned their stuff, considering how short a time they've been in business." Paine popped a piece of fresh Besaid pineapple into her mouth. "I suppose it's a good thing they only just started, though, or otherwise you'd be half the size of Sin by now." Rikku froze, a piece of chocolate fudge cake sticking out of the corner of her mouth, then grinned sheepishly before gulping down the rest of the pastry.

"Yeah, well, they did, and I'm not, so poo to you, _sayhea!"_ Rikku grabbed a napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth daintily, then stuck her tongue out at Paine. Paine smirked slightly as the young Al Bhed princess spun and stomped off in a mock tantrum. _She should really watch where she's walking, _Paine thought to herself amusedly as she waited for the inevitable collision to take place.

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**A/N:** Only the prologue was third-person, from this point on, it'll be first-person, starting with Rikku's POV. 


	2. Life Of The Party

**A/N:** There is a plot in here, I swear! I just wanted to set up a little background on the R/G relationship up to this point, as I notice a lot of different writers interpret it totally differently. I want to make this as difficult as humanly possible ;P R&R if you like, woo.

**Jezzi:** Thanks! Yeah, I was trying to make that a subtle segue, I'm glad someone got it.

**FairyIce: **I hope this was quick enough! Yeah it's a little short, but I have no patience. ;P

**Black Eyed Mistress: **Thank you! I'm trying to do just a bit of characterization before I move on to the actual plot, so these first couple are short and meaningless, but still neccessary, I feel.

**Disclaimer:** All the characters, places, background, props, small cabbages, skateboards, wax lips, speedboats, turtles, and anything else you could possibly imagine in this story belong to Square-Enix, as does everything else relating to FFX and FFX-2. The story could have something to do with me, but who knows really.

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**In Sickness And In Health******

**Chapter 1: Life Of The Party**

"Oooooof!" I toppled gracelessly to the ground as some inconsiderate oaf lumbered into me. Oh, the nerve! And to top it all off, this damn dress was threatening to expose- Well, not much more really than my normal thief getup did, but it seemed so much more taboo in such a formal outfit. I hastily jerked the skirt down over my legs, muttering a string of epithets in Al Bhed. What an idiot, to run right into me like that! Never mind that I hadn't been looking where I was going, this guy hadn't been either, obviously, and it's a gentleman's duty to make way for a-

A deeply tanned hand was suddenly stuck in front of my face, palm up. "Well, Cid's Girl, I'd have thought that after all these years you'd have learned to walk upright, but apparently I was mistaken."

Oh. NO. This is totally NOT happening. Of all the eleventy billion people here, WHY did it have to be that- that- that JACKASS!

I grabbed his hand and yanked as hard as I could, hoping he'd topple over, but no, luck wasn't with me today. He lifted me easily to my feet. I smiled a sickly, saccharine smile at him. "Maybe if your giant inflated head hadn't gotten in my way, I wouldn't have had so much trouble."

He smiled that effortless grin, the one that oozes charm and at the same time makes me want to rip his eyeballs out, and said…

"But if it hadn't, then half this party would have been denied the free panty show they just got. And far be it from me to deny these good people."

"Oooooh... You are such an utter _ZYLGYCC!_ Leave it to Gippal to ruin the happiest day ever!" My cheeks burned red as I realized that he, not to mention the people standing behind them, had gotten a better view of my… assets than I'd realized. "I don't know why Yunie even invited you!" God, I just couldn't STAND that insufferable look on his face. Even when we were kids, he still had that same look… Although then it was because he fixed a piece of machina I couldn't, or he beat me to the mess tent at dinnertime, not because he made a complete fool of me in a VERY public place. We were friends, once… A "couple", although the couple-ness was mainly due to the fact that we were usually getting into mischief in the same place at the same time. I mean, we were never really romantic at that age. He was 14 and I was 13, what did we know about romance? Yeah, Gippal was my first kiss, but it was only because he was trying to comfort me because HE scared the _cred_ out of me with a rubber bite bug and I started crying. Anyway, he obviously didn't care about me THAT much, because he left a little over a year later for the Crimson Squad… Not to mention poking fun about us in front of Yunie, and-

"Geez, Rikku, I'm SORRY, ok? And no matter how hard you try, you are not going to burn a hole in my head." I realized I'd been standing there, glaring murderously at him in silence for a good minute or two as I went through my agitated reminiscing. I smirked, feeling completely smug that for once in our lives _I_ was making _him_ uncomfortable.

"Well, if I did, it would serve you right, you big _sayhea_!" I jerked my hand from his grip and flounced away. _Let him be the one left off-balance for once_, I griped to myself mentally.

"Now, you wait just a second, here, Cid's Girl!" _Oh, no._ He was following me now? Like he hadn't done enough damage? I threw caution to the wind and gathered up my skirts, racing nimbly through the crowd. I burst out of the knot of people and looked around wildly for a safe haven. These huts were all so small, he'd find me the second he stuck his head in the door. Oh well, nothing for it. I zoomed up into the temple and slid into the tiny space behind the huge, elaborate stone carvings framing the entrance. Now all I had to do was wait for him to look and _not_ find me in here, and I'd be home free. I waited…

And waited…

Then for a change of pace, I waited some more.

"What the _vilg_-?" I muttered almost inaudibly. I KNEW I'd seen him chasing after me, I'd even heard people exclaiming in surprise as he jostled them out of the way. Maybe he went the wrong way? I carefully eased myself out of my hiding spot and peered cautiously out the door-

Just as Leblanc giggled nauseatingly and tapped Gippal coquettishly on the shoulder with her fan.

Oh, WHAT? He made me rumple my dress, and now he's talking to HER? And indeed, my dress now looked rather disheveled, and there was a telltale spot of dirt on the left hip. That stupid, ignorant, rude, irritating-

Wait a minute. Why was I upset? Aside from the dress, it now meant I was free to exit the temple and sneak around to the other side of the party, where I hopefully wouldn't run into him again. Gazing out at the crowd, I tried to decide the optimal spot to avoid Gippal, yet still partake in the par-tay. _And maybe I can have a little fun at the same time…_ I grinned mischievously.

I used the hidden moment to switch to my Alchemist dresssphere, then made my way around to the absolutely ENORMOUS bowl of delicious punch that was sitting on a flat slab of rock to one side of the village square. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, I produced two large flasks out of nowhere and proceeded to empty them into the punch. _That should liven things up a bit, _I thought as I strolled off innocently.


	3. Suitcase Of Memories

**A/N:** Whoo, writing from Gippal's POV was harder than I thought. I tried to keep a balance between cocky, jackass Gippal (cause we all love him ;P ) and sappy, nostalgic Gippal. I think sappy Gippal won this time, but I'm going to try to keep that from happening too much, and I'm sure Rikku will do her part at keeping him snarky. Please R&R, baby needs a new pair of shoes, etc.

**Black Eyed Mistress:** Well, I tried to make this chapter longer, which unfotunately took me a hell of a lot longer, due to crazy business around Halloween and then starting our holiday floor set at the clothing mines. As for Rikku acting strangely, well, she really is like that. In the games she goes from excited cheerful bubbly little blond to spoiled tantrum-throwing brat to sly little- Well, you get the idea. Her personality is very capricious, which is one of the reasons why I thought it'd be fun to write about her.

**Rikku and Gippal forever: **Thanks! Here goes nothin'!

**Gippals0Laydee: **wo0t, thx! I love them too, definitely my favorite couple in the game and WAY more interesting than TxY... Yuna is wayyyyy too namby-pamby for my taste. I think Rikku and Gippal about to rip each other's eyeballs out before they hump like mad rabbits is a bit of a better read than Tidus and Yuna getting weepy and batting their eyelashes at each other.

So, without further ado...

**Disclaimer:** All the characters, places, background, props, small cabbages, skateboards, wax lips, speedboats, turtles, and anything else you could possibly imagine in this story belong to Square-Enix, as does everything else relating to FFX and FFX-2. The story could have something to do with me, but who knows really.

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**In Sickness And In Health**

**Chapter Two: Suitcase Of Memories**

_Sweet Yevon, does she EVER shut up?_ I wondered impatiently as she giggled at me for the nth time. _How the hell does Nooj tolerate her?_ Even more annoyingly, she kept hitting me on the shoulder with her fan. Forcing a polite smile, I said, "Well, no, I don't do much of the actual machina work anymore, I'm mostly stuck with a mountain of paperwork that puts Mt. Gagazet to shame."

"Oh, it sounds just like my Noojie-Woojie. You should really take a vacation. I've finally gotten him to agree to spend a week at this absolutely _divine_ resort Rin has just opened on the southern shore of Bikanel. Sun, sand, the ocean… And there's also a spa, and one of Spira's finest restaurants, run by his already famous catering company. Everything an overworked political leader could ask for. You should really look into it, love, it'd do you a world of good." She tapped me with that blasted fan AGAIN. All I really needed right now was a vacation from _her_. Fast.

"That sounds like it might be nice. Maybe I'll check it out sometime. Now if you'll excuse me, I do have a little business to attend to, even on an occasion such as this." She looked mildly offended, but didn't object as I walked away from the crowds of people.

Now, where the hell did Rikku go? With the amount of time I'd lost in that pointless conversation, she could be halfway to Kilika by now. I checked in every hut, intruding on a hushed conversation between Paine and Baralai at one point. Grinning sheepishly as they whirled to face me, I quickly said, "Sorry guys, just… Uh… Looking for a friend of mine. Forget I was here!" I then beat a hasty retreat before the Wrath of Dr. P descended upon me. Now just what was going on there? I made a mental note to grill Baralai for the juicy details later.

Rikku failed to appear in any of the village's huts, so I turned my attention to the temple. Entering the antechamber, I checked the shadows behind every Summoner's statue, to no avail. So, I tried the doors heading towards the Cloister of Trials… But they were securely locked. _Well, if I can't get through, neither can she,_ I surmised. But then, when I checked the small rooms to each side of the temple, and she wasn't in there either! Scowling in frustration, I stalked back out of the temple and made my way through all the people to the punch bowl and got myself a glass of it. _No way am I leaving this party to chase a teenager through the underbrush, _I thought moodily. _Why is she trying so hard to avoid me anyway?_ It must have been the panty comment. I'd thought that line a little over the top when I said it, but teasing Cid's Girl had always been one of my favorite pastimes, and I just couldn't resist. It's not like I insulted her nether regions… In fact, I was more impressed than anything else by the view I'd gotten… Yeah, it was more like a compliment than anything else.

I snorted. Why was I even trying to defend my comments? The truth was, Rikku had just a sharp a tongue as I did, and on many occasions she'd given much better than she got in our verbal brawling. That was one of the reasons I'd liked her so much when we were younger… Yeah, we sniped at each other constantly, but it seemed to me we had a mutual understanding that we both secretly enjoyed it. Rikku was the only girl I'd been comfortable with when I was a young teenager. A lot of the other girls our age in Home had been enamored with me even then, but either they simpered (kinda like Leblanc!) and followed me around like a lovesick puppy, asking me brainless questions and generally being annoying, or they were prima donnas and the slightest playful remark would send them into a snit, which often happened before I learned the art of being tactful, no matter how frustrating it was. With Rikku, on the other hand, I could let loose and blow off a little steam, and I actually felt like I was talking to someone at least slightly more intelligent than a brain-damaged flan.

At least, that was how it used to be. Ever since I'd left for the Crimson Squad, things between us had been… Strained. I'd written her letters while I was in basic training, but once we were assigned the series of training missions that ended in the incident in the Den of Woe, there was no time for things like that. And then, well… I didn't really want to think about it. After I'd recovered from being shot, I tried to contact her again, but by then she'd left on her Summoner-kidnapping mission. When I saw her again in Djose, I wanted to explain everything to her, but I found I didn't even know how to act around her. I tried to play it cool, teased her a little, but I felt like there was no way we were going to be friends like we had been before. I'd basically been through hell, and well, we both know what she'd done, and was about to do, which pretty much blows everything anyone else ever did out of the water. Well, except for Yuna and Dr. P and all the rest of their friends.

I noticed that I'd finished my glass of punch, and got myself another, resigned to waiting for Rikku to reappear. She'd sure surprised me that day in Djose… I couldn't believe how much she'd matured since I'd last seen her. Back when we lived in Home together, she'd been a pretty cute kid, but that was nothing compared to what she looked like now. And that bothered me too. Rikku wasn't supposed to be beautiful, she was supposed to be _Rikku_. Yeah, we had kissed a few times back then, but it wasn't serious. I'd always thought of her as someone to practice on until I braved the infinitely more challenging concept that was the rest of the opposite sex. It just wasn't right even putting her in the same category as all the other girls I'd been involved with, so I made a joke out of it to defuse that rather uncomfortable train of thought. I figured she'd feel the same, that it was such a ridiculous idea, and laugh, but instead she'd asked me "What are you saying?" I guess she must've thought it was even more unbelievable than I did, so I brushed it off and went onto other matters. That was probably why she'd gotten so offended at my most recent comment, too… I guess it was pretty creepy to have someone she probably thought of as a brother, albeit an estranged one, make comments about her butt. No wonder she was avoiding me.

Filling my glass again, I silently cursed Rikku for making me spend the party thinking about such a depressing topic, and drinking so much of this sickeningly sweet punch. I wished there was some alcohol in it, then maybe I could forget about that exasperating little girl. Still, she was without a doubt one of the best research mechanics the Al Bhed race had to offer, so I was determined to get her to work on the new Machine Faction project. With the experience she'd had working on the salvage ship and helping her father scavenge what was left of the wreckage of Home these past six months, not to mention she'd have no trouble dusting off a few fiends, she was perfect for the job. So I would wait. All night if I had to. I filled my glass again and settled back against a nearby palm tree to wait._ I may not be able to be your best friend again, Rikku, but I can still keep you out of trouble,_ I thought. I owed her at least that, and her father, too. He'd taken me in and kept _me_ out of trouble when my dad died, so this was the least I could do. It was a great opportunity, and I was sure once she got over being pissed at me, she'd be into the idea. I smiled slightly, imagining her excitement at the technological finds everyone in the Machine Faction council was sure she and her team would make. She'd finally be recognized for something _she'd_ accomplished herself, not riding the coat-tails of someone else's glory. I wasn't sure why, but I was unshakably convinced she not only deserved that, but that she'd excel at it. It'd keep her occupied and out of trouble, keep her father happy, keep her away from the newlyweds for a while so they could spend some time on their own, and, best of all, it'd keep us out of each other's hair. And that's what's best all around.

…Right?


End file.
